We Have a Bill !! HB 1114 (2015-16)
As reported by OnlinePokerReport.com, HB1114 was prefiled for introduction by Rep. Sherry Appleton (D23) on Friday, January 9th. But this is the beginning, not the end. There is much to do, and a narrow window in which to do it, if we are to advance this issue in the legislature.
The legislature opens the 2015 session on January 12th, and we have just a few weeks to generate enough support to see the bill pass through the legislative process. It is imperative that players make themselves heard on this issue, or it will all be for naught. Please take the time to take each step
Comment on the Bill -
Players in Washington State have the opportunity to comment on the legislation directly by
visiting this page. Be sure to add a comment in support of regulated internet poker. These comments will be available for all legislators to see. Let's be respectful and to the point.
Let’s thank Rep. Appleton - sherry.appleton@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Sherry Appleton (D-23) is our hero, she stepped up and introduced a bill for us. We should all write to her and express our gratitude that she has taken up our issue. She has tribes in her district and may face some push back from them, but given the way we crafted the bill, we’re hopeful they get on board. Especially if you are in her district, she needs to know she has constituent support.
Reach out to Rep. Hurst - christopher.hurst@leg.wa.gov
The next step is getting a hearing. We need Rep. Hurst to schedule the bill for a hearing. We must show him that this is an important issue to many people, and explain logically the advantages regulation has over prohibition.
Sample letter -
http://ipokerwa.com/post/141
Reach out to the other members of the Committee
We need them to support the issue, and vote to report the bill with a ‘do pass’ recommendation. Again, showing them the issue is important to many and explaining the value of regulation over prohibition.
Sharon Wylie -
sharon.wylie@leg.wa.gov
Steve Kirby -
steve.kirby@leg.wa.gov
Brian Blake -
brian.blake@leg.wa.gov
Luis Moscoso -
luis.moscoso@leg.wa.gov
Cary Condotta -
cary.condotta@leg.wa.gov
Jeff Holy -
jeff.holy@leg.wa.gov
Brandon Vick -
brandon.vick@leg.wa.gov
Elizabeth Scott -
elizabeth.scott@leg.wa.gov
Sample letter -
http://ipokerwa.com/post/142
Reach out to your state legislators
They only know the issue is important to their constituents if those constituents tell them so. It takes only a few moments to write an e-mail, so do it! Don’t be afraid to send them one every few days either, they can only ignore you so long, eventually they must acknowledge you, and they will.
It would be beneficial for us to have a companion bill working through the Senate concurrently with the House Bill. Reach out to your State Senator and ask him/her to sponsor the same bill in the State Senate.
Contact your legislators
Encourage support from Industry
We need representatives of the industry to appear at a hearing, to speak to the technology that will be employed to assure regulations are followed and measures are taken to assure identity and location verification, and other means to prevent fraud and abuse.
We also need them to step up and show support for the bill, and perhaps spend some lobbying dollars helping to get it done. We’re working hard to create an industry they will step into and make millions from, they ought to be working hard along side of us, and bringing some needed resources to bear. The poker sites have representatives on this forum, let them hear from you.
Encourage support from local card rooms
If you play live, let the poker room director know that online poker represents an opportunity to groom new players, who will welcome the opportunity to get into live events through online satellites for instance, and the game will grow the way it was prior to 2006.
Remain vigilant!
We can do this! It is still ‘we the people’ and we can show the rest of the country that action by the players will pay dividends in the end.
2015 looks to be a pivotal year for hopeful internet poker players looking for consumer protections in place of felony threats. By driving the conversation last year, we have seen internet poker regulation legislation introduced in the 2015 session. Kudos go to the players who have helped keep the conversation going, it appears to have been effective . . .
